A. What Is Biblical Mission? “Biblical mission means more than simply going overseas to plant churches or spread civilization. It means the church participating in the ‘mission of God (Missio Dei)’ and seeking the restoration of God’s rule and glory throughout the whole earth. Mission is not a program that begins with human enthusiasm; rather, it is the heart of God that runs throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and is a fundamental reason for the church’s existence. Let me clearly summarize five essential principles of true mission as presented in Scripture. 🌍 1. The Mission of God (Missio Dei) The subject and initiator of mission is not human beings but God. In order to save fallen humanity, God first comes to us, sends His Son, and sends the Holy Spirit. He is the “missionary God” who sends. Biblical basis: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” (John 20:21) Key meaning: The church acknowledges that God has the initiative in mission and serves as His agent, obed...
The pastor must faithfully convey the message
whether the congregation
listens or not.
King
Zedekiah summoned the prophet Jeremiah and said to him,
"I
have something to ask you. Do not hide
anything from me."
At
that time, the prophet Jeremiah responded to King Zedekiah,
"If
I tell you the truth, won't you surely kill me?
Even
if I give you advice, you won't listen to me."
Then
King Zedekiah secretly promised Jeremiah, saying,
"As
surely as the Lord who gives us life lives,
I
will not kill you or hand you over to those who seek your life."
Only
then did the prophet Jeremiah relay to King Zedekiah
the
words of the Almighty God of Israel.
“If
you surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon,
you
will not die, and this city will not be burned;
you
and your family will live.
But
if you do not surrender to them,
this
city will be handed over to the Babylonians.
They
will burn it down, and you will not escape from their hands”
(Jeremiah
38:14-18).
As I
reflect on this passage, I receive a few lessons:
(1)
The servant of the Lord must not hide anything when proclaiming God's word
but
should deliver the message exactly as received to the congregation.
(2) The servant of the Lord must faithfully convey the message
whether
the congregation listens or not (cf. Ezekiel 2:5, 7; 3:11).
(3) The servant of the Lord should trust God's promises over the promises of
people
and
deliver even the messages that are difficult for the congregation to hear,
as
long as they are God's words.
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